Until Death Do Us Part
by Merwood
Summary: In the Torchwood series 2 episode Reset, Ianto was originally meant to be the one to bite the bullet.  This is an AU fic to see what might happen if he had.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Torchwood is the property of Wales and RTD, I'm just playing with their toys.

Warning: Major character death

Summary: In the Torchwood series 2 episode Reset, Ianto was originally meant to be the one to bite the bullet. This is an AU fic to see what might happen if he had.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

"Tosh. Shut em down." Jack Ordered as he directed his team into the SUV.

The team with Martha's aid had just stopped a string of murders and shut down the PHARM company who were live testing on aliens. Tosh and Jack were finishing up with erasing their systems and putting the numerous suffering aliens out of their suffering. Ianto and Gwen were loading the SUV and Owen was aiding the weakened Martha into the back seat.

"Did you really think I was just going to let you walk away?" A furious Aaron Colbey, director of the PHARM institute shouted at the team. The man had a gun withdrawn and was aiming it right at Martha. "You ruined everything I worked for."

"Now lets not be stupid," Owen said as he tried to calm the irate Doctor. Slowly placing himself in front of Martha to protect her from harm. "We're both rational men, scientists. I know you don't want to shoot."

The furious scientist didn't bother say another word, he simply replied with his gun. Pulling the trigger. Owen's eyes flinched as the loud ringing of the shot pierced his ears. Time seemed to stand still for the medic as his brain tried to process what had occurred. The gun was aimed directly at his heart, but he didn't feel any pain. Perhaps it mind still had yet to process it. Another shot was fired. Owen opened his eyes.

As he opened his eyes Owen saw short, black, well groomed hair, and a immaculate back pinstriped suit blocking his view. Owen was in a daze as he saw his would be protector fall to his knees in front of him and slowly tip to the side in a collision course with the cold relentless concrete below.

"Ianto!" Jacks voice rang out from behind the him. Owen turned to see Jack place his Webley back into its holster and dash forwards just in time to catch the youngest member of the team before colliding with the ground below.

It didn't matter. Ianto was already dead.

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><p>AN: Just a short Prologue for intro, chapter 1 should be up later today.<p> 


	2. Chapter 1

AN: Must say the number of Favs and Alerts this story got in the few hours the Prologue has been up surprised me. This is the third story I'm writing for Torchwood and has almost equal following as the others.

To Deemamaa66, I wont give spoilers but I'll let you know I do lean towards the happy endings. Especially with TW, RTD created enough sad endings for us. Curses to him for created such interesting characters and then taking them away.

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 1<span>**

Gwen sat on the couch biting back tears. One of her team members had died not three hours ago and she wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up into Rhys arms and have the man comfort her. But Jack would need her to be strong for him. He would need her now more than ever, so she would be there for him.

Toshiko absent-mindedly worked at her station. She needed to keep busy. Ianto was gone and though the two of them hadn't talked much with one another they had a silent bond. A bond between the quiet ones. They would often sit together saying absolutely nothing comforting each other during hard times. Times when team members were injured. During Gwen and Owen's affair. Ianto was always there for a shoulder to lean on and a coffee at hand. She would miss him greatly.

Owen and Martha sat opposite each other in the autopsy room, the cold metal of the table lay between them. Upon the table lay the lifeless form of one Ianto Jones, 25 years old. Bloody teaboy, Owen thought. Pulling the hero and leaving him to do the autopsy. There was nothing more detestable than to be the one to autopsy the man who had just saved your life. 25. Almost 10 years younger than any other member on the team, it wasn't right. Bloody Jack. Owen desperately wanted to blame Jack. Ianto was meant to be safely back at the Hub making sure there was coffee ready for their return.

And where was their fearless leader. He had taken off over three hours ago with saying nothing beyond, _"Nobody touches him till I get back, is that clear?" _So they waited. Each of them wanting nothing more than to go home and sleep, cry, or get wasted. Not sit and stare at their dead ally feeling guilty because it was meant to be them. Survivors guilt was a bitch.

The alert went off signalling the arrival of a team mate, Jack by matter of elimination. The large door rolled to the side with a groan and Jack breezed through making a B-line straight for the autopsy bay. He was his cloths were ripped and bloody and he was carrying a large wooden box. The team all followed suit and looked on to see what Jack had dragged in with him. Jack set the box down on a counter, popped open the lid and slowly reached inside pulling out yet another resurrection gauntlet.

"Oh, my God," Tosh exclaimed.

"Jack, you can't use it. Not after Suzie," Gwen pleaded.

"I'm using the glove. I'm bringing Ianto back," Jack said as though it were a fact as he slid his hand into it.

"Jack, at best it can give us two minutes and at worst, who knows what will happen," Gwen said desperately trying to dissuade Jack from potentially causing another Suzie incident. "Besides, last time the glove didn't work for you," she pointed out now grasping at straws.

"I'll make it work! Different glove different circumstances. And its not up for discussion," Jack stated his voice full of determination. "If you have anything, anything at all you need to say to Ianto, now's your chance."

The team looked on as Jack mumbled words of endearment to Ianto's still form as if trying to coax the young man back to life.

"Ianto, please hear my voice. Come back to me," Jack whispered quietly as he tried to force the glove to work through sheer willpower.

There were no screams or even any sign of panic in the young man as his vitals flared up on the monitors and his eyes flickered open. He simply took a quick look around the room and after a quick assessment understood what was going on. He looked up into Jack's gaze and said, "told you they came in pairs."

Jack smiled and quickly turned to his team and told them, "two minutes, hurry and say your goodbyes."

"I'm so sorry," Gwen said teary eyed to the doomed member.

"Be brave, Ianto you'll be missed," Martha said not really sure what to say to someone you just met while on their deathbed.

"I'll miss you, Ianto," Tosh whispered as Ianto gave her a silent nod. Even as his life was ticking away she felt as though he was still silently comforting her.

"Bloody prat, I wont feel guilty for this, it was your idiot move. But thanks, mate," Owen whispered the last part.

"Please, please don't leave me, Ianto," Jack begged the start of tears threatening to fall.

"I'm sorry, sir. Don't think its my choice anymore," Ianto pointed out sadly.

"Cause you're a bloody fool. A brave fool, but blood stupid," Jack scolded, heart not really in it. He was proud that Ianto did what he did, but he would miss his young lover greatly.

Ianto paused for only a moment before he made his decision, only seconds to live and its not like Jack would dump him in his final moments.

"I love you, Jack."

"Don't leave me," Jack begged again as he leaned in to kiss the dying man. He kissed him in hopes all the feelings he would never be able to say aloud would be expressed through his kiss.

The kiss, however, was short lived, so to speak. No sooner had their lips met did the constant beep of the heart monitor flat lining filled the room. Jack still hadn't noticed the sound, was far to caught up in the kiss to care.

"Jack, he's gone," Owen said dejectedly.

"Mmmsvsh," inaudible murmurs were heard coming from the two lovers.

Jack pulled away and looked down at Ianto, no just realizing the sound of the flat lining echoing about the room.

"No I'm not," Ianto repeated after being freed from his and Jack's lip lock.

"Ianto?" Jack asked while staring at his glove platted hand clearly not touching Ianto any longer. "But I'm not using the glove!"

"Yet, I'm still here. Oh well, here we go again," Ianto deadpanned.

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><p>"Owen, Martha I want to know what the hell is going on," Jack demanded as kept a firm hold on Ianto's hand. His thoughts burdened with a rambling onslaught of what this could mean. Ianto had no vitals, that much they knew, which would imply he was dead. Living dead to be more accurate. If he was truly dead his cells would no longer age. On the flip side they also wouldn't regenerate, and judging by the gun shot wound to his heart still being there any damages would be permanent. But if he no longer aged, if Jack could just keep him safe from harm could he finally have a companion that wouldn't leave him, even in death? As guilty as he felt for pushing this upon someone Jack couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope and excitement at the idea.<p>

The two medics spent the next couple of hours looking Ianto over running whatever tests they could to try and figure out what was happening.

"No heart beat, means no blood flow, no need to breathe," Owen mumbled in quick succession.

"Actually can't breathe, not even an option it seems," Ianto added.

"His body is still dying Jack, everything is shutting down," Martha added.

"What do you mean shutting down? I thought being dead meant it was already shut down?" Jack asked.

"When you die the cells die off slowly after the fact. He might be able to combat rigor mortis by maintaining mobile, but the rest of his life functions, within a few days, will be gone. Likely within a few hours they'd be extremely limited," Martha responded.

"Specifics, please. What exactly can he expect," Jack demanded.

Martha and Owen gave each other a glance hoping the other would jump in and give the explanation, not wanting to be the one to break the news. It was Owen who finally caved and began.

"His senses are diminishing, Jack. I predict within eight hours his sense of touch will be all but gone and if I'm correct…" he started as he looked at Ianto, "since Ianto can no longer breathe his sense of smell is already gone."

"It is," Ianto replied.

Jack stared at his young lover in horror, realization of what being the living dead fully implied for the man.

"Can we treat it?" Jack asked fearing the answer.

"No." Both Martha and Owen replied in unison.

"There's more Jack, there is an unidentified energy building up inside Ianto. It might be wise to quarantine him for the time being. At least until we know what it is and what its doing to him," Martha suggested.

"I won't lock him in a cell, but Ianto, for now you're confined to the Hub."

"Understood, sir."

There was something about the way Ianto said the normally welcomed endearment that made Jack feel like he just got punched in the jaw. There was none of the usual love or flintiness laced within. It was simply a confirmation of the command.

"Everyone go home, its been a long day. I expect you all back here early tomorrow, we have a lot of stuff to sort out."

The team reluctantly made their way to the exit, but Jack kept his gaze planted firmly on Ianto, studying him. He sat on the autopsy bay table flapping his legs to-and-throw as a child would when sitting upon something in which their feet could not touch the ground. Ianto had never looked younger, but his eyes looked as though they had aged an eternity and concealed all the burdens of the world there in.

His Ianto was no longer there, all that remained was this shell. And it broke Jack's heart.

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><p>AN: As someone who doesn't write often it's an odd experience when you have several idea's bombarding your brain all at once that want out. Got three stories going now, hoping I can finish those before any more pop up wanting to be told. Hope you're all enjoying them as much as I have been writing them.<p> 


	3. Chapter 2

Just wanted to thank best-in-red for the review. I have no plans of abandoning the fic, I have a rough plan of where I plan this story to go and excited to share the ending. Up dates may be slower than my other fic, 'The Ones You Least Expect' because that's my main focus and the good stuff is just about to start, but I promise to keep this one alive. Luckily I have lots of free time for the next while so what I consider to be slow updates might be often for some.

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

"How are you doing, Ianto?" Jack asked not really expecting much of an answer. Ianto has always been a private person and the bigger the problem the more he tried to hide it deeper within.

"I'm fine, sir. Suppose I should be getting back to work," Ianto deflected the question as he jumped off the autopsy table and slid into his suit jacket.

"Its night, you should get some rest."

"Why? I'm dead now. No more need to sleep, its actually rather exciting. Lots to do. Really sleep only served to slow me down," Ianto said in passing as he headed up the steps leading out of the medical area.

"Ianto, don't you think we should talk about this?"

"About what?"

"Well, how about what you said, for starters."

Ianto turned and glared intently at Jack before responding, "And what exactly did I say?" The young man dared Jack to bring up the confession of his feelings in what he had thought was his final moments.

Jack faltered under the intense scrutiny of Ianto's challenging gaze. Jack knew they should talk about both what Ianto was going through and where that left them. But there was something in that look that told Jack now was not the time. Unless he wanted the uncensored version in which would, in all likelihood, be a one sided conversion of Ianto letting Jack know just how monumentally the older man screwed up here.

"Nothing," Jack resigned himself to say.

"I thought as much," Ianto replied rather curtly. "If you need me I'll be in the archives. Have a good night, sir."

With that Ianto was gone. Jack couldn't help but wonder exactly where this left them, surely it didn't mean there relationship was simply just over. They were just starting to get things going to being an actual couple, and for Jack it had been such along time. He hadn't been willing to love since Lucia and that was over thirty years ago. And if Ianto did have the potential to exist forever, would it always feel like he does now? Guilty for condemning another being to a life of forever existing. Jack couldn't help but laugh sardonically to himself at that. He had just forced on Ianto, regardless if it was an accident or not, what the Doctor had forced upon him. Now he could understand the urge to want to run away and hide from your creation. Ianto was wrong. Far more wrong than Jack, because Ianto was condemned to eternity in an unfeeling shell, a shell that could not even repair itself, incapable of the most simplest of human luxuries.

Jack of course wouldn't run from this. He would spend eternity protecting Ianto as best he could if the young man would let him. He knew what it was like to be left behind for something that was out of your control, he would never do that to someone else. Even if it meant an eternity of guilt following him around.

The only thing Jack knew for certain was that Ianto would have to be taken off field missions all together, it was to big of a risk for the young man and to little known about his condition. His body would never mend itself, so a broken leg would be the same as being paralyzed. It was most fortunate that Ianto's responsibilities were all within the confines of the Hub. It was just a shame that every mission that came up seemed reliant on Ianto's predicament.

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><p>The energy building up in Ianto's body eventually unleash death upon Cardiff and all hell broke loose. The demon attacked the near by A&amp;E claiming the lives of eleven people before Ianto's intervention with the creature leading to its demise before it could get a foot hold in our realm. Later Ianto would again be needed to invade the mansion of the old man Mr Parker to investigate a strong energy source. Ianto was needed as he was the only one amongst the group who could bypass the heat sensors undetected.<p>

The entire time Jack was far to worried to lead his team, so as soon as the mission was completed Jack made it official that Ianto was not to join any further field missions. Ianto had been livid and fought with Jack every step of the way. Shouting he was not an invalid, but in the end conceded to abide by Jack's ruling.

Things in the Hub had returned to somewhat of a normalcy. Everyone seemed to be doing well, even Ianto was carrying out his job as though nothing was wrong with him. Though Jack wanted to point out he was now working almost around the clock, only breaking to pick up cloths from his flat, but never staying there. He pretty much spent his entire time at the Hub constantly working. In fact the one person that seemed to be taking it the hardest was Jack.

Jack had trouble being near Ianto, he simply felt guilty around the man. As Ianto now spent almost his entire unlife in the Hub, Jack spent as many nights as possible away from it. And as for their relationship, there last kiss had been the one they shared that night on the autopsy table when they thought it was the Welshman's final moments. Ianto barely said a word to Jack, only regarding work. Jack was missing his young lover deeply. Being the tactile person that he is, Jack loves being near people, being close. Ianto hadn't so much as allowed Jack to hold his hand or graze his cheek affectionately.

As for Ianto, the young man was the picture of professionalism he always was. Always working, dressed meticulously well and ever the professional. He hadn't so much as complained once since being cursed with his new affliction. In fact the only sign of emotion Ianto had displayed since then was when Jack told him he was off field duty. Jack knew it was only a matter of time before everything boiled to the surface he just hoped for Gwen's sake it would wait until after her wedding.

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><p>AN: I had time skip forward through the 2 episodes Dead Man Walking and Day in the Death for a few reasons. One being I didn't see them playing out much differently than they would've regardless of who was brought back to life. I didn't want to simply retell the same story but change names about. Also I wanted some time to pass before Ianto's inevitable emotional blow out. I really think he would bottle it up and pretend everything was okay until he couldn't take it any more.<p> 


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The night before Gwen's wedding was celebrated in a typical Torchwood fashion. With the discovery of a knew species that had bitten Gwen and somehow managed to impregnate the bride to be. Of course Gwen being the strong headed woman that she was insisted that their 'little' problem would not set her back. By end of day she would be Gwen Williams, well still Cooper really, but she would be married. Neither Jack nor Owen had been fond of the idea, but could not come up with a reason to dissuade her.

So the team worked together to give Gwen the wedding she desperately wanted. Ianto went out and picked up a dress to accommodate Gwen's knew figure, Tosh was sent early just in case anything should arise. While the three men followed suit shortly after learning that Gwen was being hunted by the Nostrovite mother who planned on ripping open Gwen's stomach and running off with the unborn child.

The wedding itself had gone as expect, Jack crashed at the last moment and all hell broke loose. Eventually Owen had used the singularity scalpel to perform an abortion on Gwen's alien baby and Jack had blown the thing to pieces by using an alien weapon that had Jack grinning like a kid for hours after the fact.

The fallout had been one fatality, poor Martin the groomsmen was eaten alive and they had a wedding party of people to Retcon. Ianto had been hurt too, at one point the Nostrovite had taken Gwen's mother hostage and shortly after Gwen emptied a round into the thing it made to retreat. Ianto had tried blocking its path and as a result got four sharp nails dug knuckles deep into his right shoulder. At the time he cried out, not in pain as he could no longer feel. It was simply the shock of seeing someone dig ones hand into your flesh. He was alright and his arm still seemed to function, but now he'd forever have four holes planted in his shoulder, along side the bullet wound over his heart, to always remind him of the day.

Jack had been livid and wanted to confine Ianto to the Hub for the foreseeable future, but as the team reminded Jack the cleanup was going to be a big job he settled for making him wait in the SUV until the creature had been dispatched.

Now here they were. Owen had caved and was dancing with Tosh while Gwen was seemingly in dream world caught up in fantasies of him and Gwen while Ianto looked on. Ianto had stood watching for a time, but eventually couldn't stomach the scene any longer and decided he needed to get some air. He wasn't need at the time anyway, the Retcon needed to run its course on the crowd before he would be again.

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><p>"I was looking for you," he heard Jack's voice approaching from behind him.<p>

"Oh? I didn't think you even knew I was there," Ianto replied with more venom than he had intended.

"That's not fair. You been keeping your distance from me since…" Jack began as Ianto jumped in to finish his sentence.

"Since I died."

"I was going to say, since the accident," Jack refuted.

"Its fine Jack. I'm dead, couples tend to break up when that happens. You have no obligation to me."

"It doesn't have to be like that, we could still…"

"Still what, Jack?" Ianto spat. "Still be a couple? Still go on like me being dead changes nothing?"

Here it was, Jack thought. The blow out he had anxiously been anticipating.

"It doesn't have to."

"Don't patronize Jack, you're the most sexual person I know. It was the foundations of our relationship."

"So you don't breathe, its not all bad. No gag reflex," Jack attempted to lighten the mood. "Even if we can't have sex, sometimes its nice to just curl up with a warm body and…" Jack had said before realizing his slip up, but Ianto made sure to point it out to him.

"Warm body," Ianto chuckled sardonically. "I'm bloody dead Jack, no blood flow. My skin is stone cold. So tell me Jack, where does that leave us? Snogging? My salivary glands don't function any more. My mouth is as dry as a desert. Would be like making out with a sheet of sandpaper that's been in the fridge."

"Ianto…" Jack didn't really know what else to say. He never really thought about every detail that lack of body functions would imply.

"Jack, I can't feel anything. Its not just touch, its so much more. Being around you use to excite me, make me nervous, turn me on. Now I feel nothing. The body is responsible for releasing chemicals that cause emotions. Like when that Nostrovite attacked me today, there was no adrenaline. It was more my mind remembering how I would've reacted, so I shouted."

"What are you getting at, Ianto?" Jack asked, not liking what he was hearing. This was far worse then anything he had expected.

"Right now I can still remember what emotions felt like and I'm reacting to situations as such. But its fading. Like a distant dream, I'm forgetting how it felt to be happy, sad to love. It must be some cosmic joke that me and Lisa get to suffer the same fate. Both stripped of emotion and forced to cling to a life forced on you."

Jack couldn't help but feel like he just been struck by that last bit. He was the one who had forced Ianto back and why he was now stuck as he was. All because he wasn't ready to let to young man go.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Let me go."

"And if I can't?"

"I don't think you have a choice. Soon I wont be me. So while this carcass would still be here to follow you around, all the feelings that made me who I was will eventually be forgotten. And I'll simply just exist."

"How long do you think you can hold out?" Jack asked, hoping he could find some miracle to fix him. Maybe contact the Doctor and see is he can help.

"A few months I suppose."

"Please give me those months. I'll find a cure, I promise."

"Jack, I don't think its that simple."

"I'm not ready to give up on you yet," Jack was all but begging now.

"Three months Jack, then promise me you'll end this. No matter what."

"Three months."

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><p>AN: While writing this chapter I sat thinking for awhile about everything that might come up from body functions shutting down and realized your body really wouldn't release the chemicals that tell you how you are feeling and thought it would be interesting to include that. Of course not breathing should imply no talking, but lets over look that one.<p>

I'll likely skip both Adrift and From Out of the Rain, cause lets face it, if Jack and Ianto cant dabble those episodes get a little boring the second time around.


End file.
